With the advent of the communication technologies and breakthroughs in Digital Signal Processing (“DSP”), Digital Subscriber Lines (“DSL”), fiber optic and coaxial cable and wireless connections, more bandwidth is now available for home communications than was once provided by traditional voice-grade analog modems. There is widespread interest among home users in faster access to content provided by service providers via high-speed facilities such as DSL, cable, or wireless connections.
This interest appears to be driving the evolution of the home communications from narrow-band communications to broadband communications. As is known in the art, broadband communications include communications signals that are typically transmitted over separate inbound and outbound channels. Network devices on a broadband network are connected by copper, coaxial or fiber-optic cable or wireless connections that can carry data, voice, and video simultaneously. Broadband communications are capable of high-speed operation (e.g., megabits-per-second, (“Mbps”)).
There are a number of problems associated with providing broadband communications to the home environment. One problem is that before DSL, broadband access via shared Local Area Network (“LAN”), Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transmission Mode (“ATM”) or other broadband communications services had only been used in commercial or business environment. Most to-home communications are narrow-band and use either Integrated Service Digital Network (“ISDN”) line or analog modems.
Another problem is that broadband communications are operationally complex. Broadband communications typically include a large number of broadband communications parameters that must be configured before a broadband communications application can be used. Service provisioning is also required to use broadband communications. As is known in the art, service provisioning includes allocating, configuring and maintaining multiple transmission channels and virtual communications paths used for broadband communications.
Normally, in the commercial or business environment, trained professionals are required to manage such complexity. It is undesirable however, to have trained networking personnel managing a home network. It may also be unreasonable to expect any home user to have enough networking experience to configure and provision broadband communications in the home environment.
Another problem is that it is becoming common for home users to have small office or home office (“SOHO”) home networks. Such home networks typically include one or more personal computers, printers, facsimile machines, mobile phones, personal data assistants (“PDA”) that are all connected in the home and to another networks such as the Internet. The home networks typically require gateway, router or bridge functionality to allow devices connected to the home network to communicate over data connections (e.g., Internet Protocol (“IP”)) with other devices connected to the Internet.
As is known in the art, a gateway connects computer networks using different network protocols and/or operating at different transmission capacities. A router receives transmitted messages and forwards them to their correct destinations over the most efficient available route. A bridge is a device that connects networks using the same communications protocols so that information can be passed from one network device to another.
Such gateway, router or bridge functionality typically requires configuration, initialization and management of various gateway, routing or bridging tables. It may also be unreasonable to expect any home user to have enough networking experience to configure, initialize or manage such tables in the home environment.
Another problem is that for many home users do not have the physical space to include additional modules or equipment that is used as a home gateway. The home users also may not have the additional wired or wireless connections available to connect a home gateway (e.g., an additional telephone line).
Another problem is that many home users desire to use home gateway functionality, but already have existing phone systems. Many existing phone systems are incompatible with, and cannot be used with products that may offer any type of home gateway functionality.
Another problem is that many devices used on a home network are wireless. It is often necessary to connect such wireless devices to a broadband communications path.
Another problem is that most broadband communication devices allow to-home networking, but do not allow in-home networking with other devices connected to a home network. It is often necessary to provide broadband communications for to-home and in-home networking.
Thus, it is desirable to provide broadband communications to the home environment in a device that overcomes the problems described herein and other problems associated with providing broadband communications to the home.